For the second year in a row, DC United has eliminated FC Dallas from Lamar Hunt US Open Cup qualifying at RFK Stadium. In this year’s edition, United got a pair of goals from Adam Cristman to lead the way to a 4-2 victory in front of a scarce home crowd that chose midweek soccer over the Washington Capitals’ seventh game of their opening round playoff series.

With the win, DC will host Real Salt Lake with a spot in the US Open Cup on the line. The date of that “Win & You’re In” game is still yet to be determined.

It didn’t take long for the home team to get on the board when off-season acquisition Adam Cristman made it 1-0 in the 4th minute. 17-year-old Andy Nahar, making his first start for the club, played a ball over to Cristman who sent a well-placed ball over Dallas goalkeeper Kevin Hartman for not only the game’s first goal, but the club’s first goal at home this year.

Andy Najar celebrates his first professional goal in the 51st minute. Photo: Tony Quinn | D.C. United

DC would add a second just before the halftime break when Cristian Castillo, another player making his first start for United, put a long-distance free kick into the back of the net. From nearly 40 yards away, Castillo floated a ball into the box intended for teammate Brandon Barklage, however, when he leaped to head the ball on goal he either missed, or just chose not to hit the ball. Either way, it was enough to freeze Hartman in goal and get the ball past him in the 39th minute.

United manager Curt Onalfo was sent off before the intermission for apparently arguing with the fourth official, so he wasn’t able to witness the onslaught of goals that came in the second half. Four goals were scored in less than 10 minutes, begininning with Andy Najar’s first professional goal in the 51st minute. This time it was Cristman playing the role of provider, sending a cross to the front of the goal from the right wing. The ball would find Najar at the far post who volleyed it home to make it 3-0.

The game seemed out of reach for less than a minute as Dallas stormed right back down the field and pulled one back with Bruno Guarda firing a shot from just outside the penalty area and past a diving Troy Perkins.

Five minutes later, Atiba Harris drew contact in the box and the referee awarded a penalty kick. Dax McCarty would cut the lead to one with the spot kick, but Cristman returned to squash any momentum the visitors may have had. Two minutes after McCarty’s PK, Clyde Simms delivered a ball into the box and Cristman, who won an Open Cup title with New England in 2007, put a head on it for his second goal of the game.

Broadcast journalist / sports play by play announcer that created TheCup.us (in 2003) and continues to run the site. Currently works as a producer/host at Michigan Radio, the state's top NPR station. An active member of the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association and the North American Soccer Reporters. Proud alum of Temple University and Lansing Community College. Read his work on TheCup.us HERE.